Nov 22, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall (23) returns an interception in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys during a game on Thanksgiving at Cowboys Stadium. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Here is what you need to know on this Friday, November 1, two days before the Washington Redskins host the San Diego Chargers.

Nickel coverage

Five notes and quotes from Redskins Park:

1. Jim Haslett was asked if DeAngelo Hall would be covering Chargers tight end Antonio Gates any on Sunday. His answer was somewhat coy. “Well, we usually don’t match a corner on a tight end, but he has the ability to do almost anything,” he said. “We’ve put him on, obviously, big receivers.” At 6-4, Gates certainly qualities as a “big” receiver and he is a much bigger receiving threat than any Chargers wide receiver. Keep an eye out there.

2. Roy Helu Jr. on his comfort level now compared to his rookie year: “I feel more comfortable, probably because I’ve been with the coaching staff for a few seasons now. I think my rookie year I just didn’t feel as comfortable for whatever reason, it was a whole new approach coming into the NFL . . . I do know schematically more in the run game and more in the run game where blocks should be.”

3. Bacarri Rambo’s path out of the doghouse consists of playing well on special teams. He said today that’s not something he had to do much of as a star at Georgia but he now realizes that special teams are part of life in the NFL. “I’m doing a whole lot better [on special teams]. I take special teams serious, I always did,” he said. “I just go out there to help the team. If they need to play special teams the whole game I’m going to go out there and do it and give it my all.”

4. Kyle Shanahan was asked about the running game compared to last year. “I think it’s been right there with last year. I think we’ve got good yards per carry. I think we’re doing solid,” he said. “Haven’t gotten Robert on the perimeter as much as we did last year, but we’ve had our games where we have. But I’ve been happy with our run game.”

5. During game chats and occasionally on Twitter I get asked why the Redskins don’t throw deep on occasion just to keep the other team honest. In answering a question about Griffin’s accuracy on the deep ball, Kyle Shanahan addressed that issue as well, invoking an old-school reference in the process:

“He is at times. Nobody’s perfect. It’s a low percentage ball down the field – we’re not the 1970 Raiders where I’m just going to say ‘we’re going deep for no reason, we’re just going to go deep because that’s who we are.’ We go deep when we need to go deep. And when those coverages are presented, you’ve got to get them out of stuff – they’re daring you to do it, and you’ve got to take that challenge and it’s usually the difference in winning and losing. And if you come up with those plays, I think you’ve got a good chance to win. If they’re daring you to go deep and you can’t go deep, it’s tough to go short also. And it makes it a long day.”